It's been a tough couple of days. I woke up late this morning and was craving comfort food for breakfast. And, while I may not be able to solve anything else right now, I could at least solve that. So I made these very basic oatmeal-buttermilk waffles.

The book called for topping them with a fresh blueberry sauce, but I didn't have any blueberries. What I did have though, was serviceberries! And they were a lovely treat here.

The waffles came out very light and crisp and were great with the serviceberry sauce (which comes together in ~5 minutes). The Kidlet had hers with a dollop of whipped cream, just to make it extra special. I had mine with just the sauce and didn't feel that I was missing out.

I think the only change that I'd make next time is to add just a touch of vanilla to the waffle batter. I nearly did so this time. I thought it seemed like it would be a nice addition. But, in the end, I decided to stick to strictly what was in the recipe. And, to be fair, the waffles did come out very well. I just think a hint of vanilla would've made them even better! And, if you're making the sauce to go with them (which calls for lemon juice, you can always zest the lemon first and toss a bit of the peel into your batter as well. Don't overdo it, of course, but I think that a 1/4-1/2 tsp. would go quite nicely.

Oatmeal-Buttermilk Waffles with Serviceberry Sauce

Slightly adapted from The Big Book of Breakfast by Maryana Vollstedt

Ingredients

Waffles

• 140g whole wheat flour
• 100g quick oats
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 c. buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 c. butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. lemon zest (optional)

Sauce

• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 c. water
• 2 c. fresh or frozen serviceberries (or blueberries)

Directions

1. Preheat your waffle iron.
2. Combine the flour, oats, and sugar.
3. Sift in the baking powder and baking soda.
4. Beat the eggs with the buttermilk and melted butter.
5. Beat in the vanilla and lemon zest, if using.
6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just mixed.
7. Scoop a portion of batter into the preheated waffle iron and cook according to manufacturer directions. Repeat with remaining batter.
8. Meanwhile, combine the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, water, and berries over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
9. Cook, stirring often, until liquid portion of sauce is smooth and glossy and thickens slightly (2-3 minutes).
10. Serve waffles topped with sauce (and any other toppings you'd like).